Donua Excursion to Weltenburg Monastery

The day began with thunderstorms. The group had planned an excursion up the Donau [Danube] though the romantic Donaudurchbruch gorge to the Benedictine Weltenburg Monastery, the oldest monastery brewery in the world. Should we continue or ditch it for Nuremburg? A vote and bravely we decided to risk the weather. A good choice. The early heavy rain gave way to sunshine just as we arrived to take the bus to the boat.

We enjoyed a great trip first passing the Befreiungshalle, or “Liberation Hall” -- a neoclassical extravagance built by King Ludwig I of Bavaria in 1863 to commemorate the “Great Battle of Nations” where, at Leipzig, the 34 German states defeated Emperor Napoleon. The building, which appears far too large for the hill upon which it sits, is divided into 18 sections, one for each of the Germanic tribes. More about it at: http://www.altmuehltal.de/englisch/kelheim/e-befreiungshalle.htm


From there the tourboat entered the spectacular Donau Gorge where the rock faces have been shaped into curious shapes by water, wind and weather. As we passed through, Niki, one of our program's super assistants, translated the boat captain's remarks as he pointed out the various rock formation that have been named---"kitchen rock" a perpendicular wall rising from the water, the Bavarian Lion, the bishop´s mitre, the kissing couple, the rude man, the Roman rock, and rock with a statue of St.Nepomuk, patron saint of fresh-water navigators and bridge builders.

From http://www.areion.org/weltenburg/short.html
The Benedictine abbey of Weltenburg is the oldest monastery in Bavaria and was founded around 600 AD. by the monks of St. Columbanus. It is situated near the entrance to the scenic Danube gorge, on the northern slopes of the Arzberg Mountain, near the site of the ancient Celtic settlement of Artobriga. The baroque church was built by the architect brothers Cosmas Damian Asam and Aegid Quirin Asam. Work began in 1716 by order of Maurus Baechl, Abbot of Weltenburg from 1713 to 1743; the entrance hall completing the building was finished in 1751 by Franz Anton Neu.